What is Design Thinking?
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that assists organizations to develop products, services, processes, and strategies. It is an iterative and collaborative problem solving process that focuses on empathy.
Traditional Thinking
Improves existing ideas
Understand usage
Who and what focus
Employs objective analysis
Problem solving
Flawless planning
Design Thinking
Inspires new ideas
Understand motivation
How and why focus
Engages empathetic experiences
Opportunity generating
Enlightened trial and error
Divergent & Convergent Work
The beginning of the design thinking process is characterized by divergent work. Divergent work generates new ideas and approaches for a team to examine and test. This gives a team many options to choose from.
Discover
Interpret
Ideate
Experiment
Implement
As the work proceeds, it becomes convergent. The team chooses specific ideas, experiments with, and implements those ideas.
Ready to Get Creative?
Learn more about the design thinking process and find a play.
More Design Thinking Resources
- Human Centered Design at Amway Business Innovation
- The Good Kitchen – Example of Design Thinking
- Introduction to the Design Thinking Process
- Inspiring Creative Confidence – Justin Ferrell
- Design Thinking Workshop – Justin Ferrell
- Grand Valley State University Resources
- IDEO.org
- Design Tool Kit – IDEO